The Silence of the Lambs 1991 quotes, page 2

Dr. Lecter

First principles, Clarice. Read Marcus Aurelius. Of each particular thing, ask: What is it in itself? What is its nature? What does he do, this man you seek?

Clarice

He kills women.

Dr. Lecter

No, that is incidental. What is the first and principal thing he does, what needs does he serve by killing?

Clarice

Anger, social resentment, sexual frustration ...

Dr. Lecter

No, he covets. That's his nature. And how do we begin to covet, Clarice? Do we seek out things to covet? Make an effort to answer, now.

Clarice

No. We just ...

Dr. Lecter

No. We begin by coveting what we see every day. Don't you feel eyes moving over your body, Clarice? And don't your eyes seek out the things you want?

Dr. Lecter

Jack Crawford is helping your career, isn't he? Apparently he likes you, and you like him too.

Clarice

I never thought about it.

Dr. Lecter

Do you think that Jack Crawford wants you sexually? True, he is much older, but do you think he visualizes scenarios, exchanges, **** you?

Clarice

That doesn't interest me, Doctor, and frankly, it's ... it's the sort of thing that Miggs would say.

Dr. Lecter

Not anymore.

Dr. Lecter

Now then, tell me. What did Miggs say to you? Multiple Miggs in the next cell. He hissed at you. What did he say?

Clarice

He said, "I can smell your ****."

Dr. Lecter

I see. I, myself, cannot. You use Evian skin cream, and sometimes you wear L'Air du Temps ... but not today.

Dr. Lecter

Plum Island Animal Disease Research Center. Sounds charming.

Clarice

That's only part of the island. There's a very, very nice beach. Terns nest there. There's beautiful ...

Dr. Lecter

Terns? If I help you, Clarice, it will be "turns" for us too. Quid pro quo – I tell you things, you tell me things. Not about this case, though. About yourself. Quid pro quo. Yes or no?

Dr. Lecter

Yes or no, Clarice? Poor little Catherine is waiting.

Clarice

Go, doctor.

Dr. Lecter

Tell me, Senator, did you nurse Catherine yourself?
Senator Ruth Martin: What?

Dr. Lecter

Did you breast-feed her?
Krendler: Now, wait a minute ...
Sen. Martin: Yes, I did.

Dr. Lecter

Toughened your nipples, didn't it?
Krendler: You son of a bitch!

Dr. Lecter

Amputate a man's leg, and he can still feel it tickling. Tell me, ma'am, when your little girl is on the slab, where will it tickle you?
Sen. Martin: Take this thing back to Baltimore!

Dr. Lecter

Five foot ten, strongly built, about a hundred and eighty pounds; hair blonde, eyes pale blue. He'd be about thirty-five now. He said he lived in Philadelphia, but may have lied. That's all I can remember, Mom, but if I think of any more, I will let you know. Oh, and Senator, just one more thing: love your suit.

Dr. Lecter

Why do you think he removes their skins, Agent Starling? Enthrall me with your acumen.

Clarice

It excites him. Most serial killers keep some sort of trophies from their victims.

Dr. Lecter

I didn't.

Clarice

No. No, you ate yours.

Dr. Lecter

You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube. A well-scrubbed, hustling rube with a little taste. Good nutrition has given you some length of bone, but you're not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you, Agent Starling? And that accent you've tried so desperately to shed? Pure West Virginia. What's your father, dear? Is he a coal miner? Does he stink of the lamp? You know how quickly the boys found you ... all those tedious sticky fumblings in the back seats of cars ... while you could only dream of getting out ... getting anywhere ... getting all the way to the FBI.

Clarice

You see a lot, doctor. But can you point that high-powered perception at yourself? What about it? Why don't you – why don't you look at yourself and write down what you see? Or maybe you're afraid to.

Hannibal Lecter

What a naughty boy he is! Do you know why he's called 'Buffalo Bill'? Please tell me - the newspapers won't say.

Clarice Starling

Well, it started as a bad joke in Kansas City homicide. They said, 'This one likes to skin his humps.'

Hannibal Lecter

Why do you think he removes their skins, Agent Starling? Enthrall me with your acumen.

Clarice Starling

It excites him. Most serial killers keep some sort of trophies from their victims.

Hannibal Lecter

I didn't.

Clarice Starling

No. No, you ate yours.

Hannibal Lecter

Billy is not a real trans-sexual, but he thinks he is. He tries to be. He's tried to be a lot of things, I expect.

Clarice Starling

And you said that I was very close to the way we would catch him. What did you mean, doctor?

Hannibal Lecter

There are three major centers for trans-sexual surgery: Johns Hopkins, the University of Minnesota, and Columbus Medical Center. I wouldn't be surprised if Billy had applied for sex reassignment at one or all of them, and been rejected.

Clarice Starling

On what basis would they reject him?

Hannibal Lecter

Look for severe childhood disturbances associated with violence. Our Billy wasn't born a criminal, Clarice. He was made one through years of systematic abuse. Billy hates his own identity, you see, and he thinks that makes him a trans-sexual. But his pathology is a thousand times more savage and more terrifying.

Hannibal Lecter

Quid pro quo. I tell you things, you tell me things. Not about this case, though, about yourself. Quid pro quo. Yes or no? Yes or no, Clarice? Poor little Catherine is waiting.

Clarice Starling

Go, Doctor.

Hannibal Lecter

What is your worst memory of childhood?

Clarice Starling

The death of my father.

Hannibal Lecter

Tell me about it and don't lie, or I'll know.

Clarice Starling

He was a town marshal, and... one night, he surprised two burglars coming out the back of a drugstore. They shot him.

Hannibal Lecter

Was he killed outright?

Clarice Starling

No, he was very strong, he lasted more than a month. My mother died when I was very young, so... my father had become the whole world to me, and, when he left me, I had nothing. I was ten years old.

Hannibal Lecter

You're very frank, Clarice. I think it would be quite something to know you in private life.

Clarice Starling

Quid pro quo, Doctor.

Hannibal Lecter

So tell me about Miss West Virginia. Was she a large girl?

Clarice Starling

Yes.

Hannibal Lecter

Big through the hips? Roomy?

Clarice Starling

They all were.

Hannibal Lecter

What else?

Clarice Starling

She had an object deliberately inserted into her throat. Now, that hasn't been made public yet. We don't know what it means.

Hannibal Lecter

Was it a butterfly?

Clarice Starling

Yes. A moth. Just like the one we found in Benjamin Raspail's head an hour ago. Why does he place them there, Doctor?

Hannibal Lecter

The significance of the moth is change. Caterpillar into chrysalis, or pupa, and from thence into beauty. Our Billy wants to change, too.

Hannibal Lecter

You're not real FBI, are you?

Clarice Starling

I'm still in training at the Academy.

Hannibal Lecter

Jack Crawford sent a trainee to me?

Clarice Starling

Yes, I'm a student. I'm here to learn from you. Maybe you can decide for yourself whether or not I'm qualified enough to do that.

Hannibal Lecter

Mmm. That is rather slippery of you, Agent Starling. Sit, please. Now then, tell me. What did Miggs say to you? Multiple Miggs in the next cell. He hissed at you. What did he say?

Clarice Starling

He said, "I can smell your ****."

Hannibal Lecter

I see. I, myself, cannot. You use Evian skin cream, and sometimes you wear L'Air du Temps … but not today.

Clarice Starling

Did you do all those drawings, Doctor?

Hannibal Lecter

Ah. That is the Duomo seen from the Belvedere. You know Florence?

Clarice Starling

All that detail just from memory, sir?

Hannibal Lecter

Memory, Agent Starling, is what I have instead of a view.

Jack Crawford

Be very careful with Hannibal Lecter. Dr. Chilton at the asylum will go over all the physical procedures used with him. Do not deviate from them for any reason whatsoever. And you're to tell him nothing personal, Starling. Believe me, you don't want Hannibal Lecter inside your head. Just do your job, but never forget what he is.

Clarice Starling

And what is that?

Dr. Chilton

Oh, he's a monster. Pure psychopath. So rare to capture one alive. From a research point of view, Lecter is our most prized asset.
...

Dr. Chilton

Crawford is very clever, isn't he, using you?

Clarice Starling

What do you mean, sir?

Dr. Chilton

A pretty young woman to turn him on. I don't believe Lecter's even seen a woman in eight years. And, oh, are you ever his taste. So to speak.

Jack Crawford

I remember you from my seminar at UVA. You grilled me pretty hard, as I recall, on the bureau's civil rights record in the Hoover years. I gave you an A.

Clarice

A-minus, Sir.

Jack

Just do your job, but never forget what he is.

Clarice

And what is that?

Dr. Chilton

Oh, he's a monster. Pure psychopath. So rare to capture one alive. From a research point of view, Lecter is our most prized asset.

Jame

It rubs the lotion on its skin. It does this whenever it is told.

Catherine

Mister ... my family will pay cash. Whatever ransom you're asking for, they pay it.

Jame

It rubs the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again. [To his dog, Precious] Yes, it will, Precious, won't it? It will get the hose!

Catherine

Okay ... okay ... okay. Mister, if you let me go, I won't – I won't press charges, I promise. See, my mom is a real important woman ... I guess you already know that.

Jame

Now it places the lotion in the basket.

Catherine

Please! Please, I wanna go home! I wanna go home, please!

Jame

It places the lotion in the basket.

Catherine

I wanna see my mommy! Please, I wanna see my ...

Jame

Put the **** lotion in the basket!